Automatic electric-circuit controller.



PATENTED APR. 10, 1906.

, H. W. LEONARD. AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 26. 1903.

WITNESSES:

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PATENT 1 OFFICE.

' "HA/REY WARD. LEONARD, or BRoNxvILLE, NEW YORK.

J AuromATic ELECTRIC L Tb aZZiv hom' it may concerm f Be it known that I, HARRY W'ARD LEON- ARD, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Bronxvillefln the county of Westf5 cliester and State of'NewYork, have invented afcert'ain new andfuseful Improvement i i-Automatic Electric-CircuitControllers, of

i whichthe following is a specification.

' My invention relates to j electrical-circuitcontrolling devices provided'with means for '-ls ecuring automatic operation under-certain I conditions in the circuit-"such, for example, as no voltage, excessive current, &c. and my: i-nvention'relates more particularly hi to rheostats employed for starting and controlling the speed of electricmotors.

l napparatus of this character it is desirable that the no-voltage device and the overi load ;"devi ceflshould beindepend ent of each. z o' ;other in their action, thus securing the greatest 'measure of reliability. "It is also imporf tant that these two devices be so arranged that it will'be impossible for the operator to.

manipulate them-improperly. For example,

i 5 in a rheostatit should be. impossiblefor the o erat or to first cut out resistance and then cos ethe circuit, making a short circuit. It is also important that the overload device ad adjusted a "ln rheostats for controlling electric motors itisfdesirabl'e to have: a device which will vautom'a'tically cause a change in the position of the'contact-arr'ns which will make necessary the movement of'the rheostat switch-arm to i I its initial or starting position whenever a condition'ofno'volta'ge occurs on the circuit of v iothemotor, so that-if the motor comes to rest andt'henatheiull electromotive force comes suddenly on the circuit again the motor and f. rl 1eostat will'ibe. protected against an excess- T ive current. It is-also desirable to have the circuitprotecte d by 'an automatic circuit- :breaker which will openthe circuit whenever "from "any cause the" current exceeds a predetermined maximumr By ;my vention l secure" the. features 5o iabov'e st'atedgand my invention is illustrated i in the 'a'ecompanyingr drawings, in which- Fi ure'lisadia'grammatic view of a-motor-- spee -'c'ontro'lling rheostat and the circuit Specification of Letters Patent. 1 n gtan fil d January 26,1903. Serial No. 140,506.

i should ,beflfree to res 0nd to conditionsof overload at 'all times, othwhile the control-. .1. ler isi-b ein g operated and after it has been op- -CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

Patented April 10, 1906.

energy delivered to other forms of translating devices, switch R is not provided with means for automatically restoring it tothe initial or starting position, as is usual in motor-starting or .similar rheostats which is the form shown in Fig. 2. Arm H is the hammer-blow against the action of spring S, one end of which is secured to arm H and the'other end is secured to pivot P. M and M are two so lenoids, and latch h is providedwith two arms I and l, with which the cores of solenoids M and M cooperate to release arm 1 H. The current through the motor-armature passes from one supplyline, through the motor-armature andresistance, to arm R and then through the coil M to the other supply-line. The field-circuit of the motor includes the coil M, connection to awn B being indicated.

tion in. current passing through M occurs, the plunger or core of solenoid 'M falls and. delivers a hammer-blow upon arm Z of the latch, tripping the same and allowing the spring to throw arm-H forward, causing its bumperfa; to strike arm, R and return it to the initial position, where the circuit is opened. When overload occurs, theplunger or core of solenoid M rises and trips latch h by a hammersame as when no voltage occurs.

ries no current and acts simply as the hammer 'for returning arm R to its initial or starting position. In Fig. 2 arm H is ar ranged to carry current, and for the purpose spring S has its end connected to the arms, as shown, so as totend to drive them toward each other, and coil M instead of being con .nected to arm R or its pivot is connected to a regulating the speed of electric motors or the blow on arm Z, the resulting action being the.

In the arrangement of Fig. 1 arm H cararm and is normally held bya pivoted latch h g When no voltage or a-predetermined reduc- 'un er running conditions, as shown, the arcontact-plate-U, with which arm H makes contact. By this arran ement when arm H is released it will break t e circuit. To reset the controller, arm II is moved to its normal position by arm R through engagement'with um er 2;, and in doing so all resistance will be aced in circuit. In this construction mature-current passes from one supply-line, through the motor-armature, to the final contact of the armature resistance, thence thropfh arms R- and H to .contact U, throu h to the other supply-line. Coil will therefore act to protect the motor from abnormal overload-current.

I have shown ,the no voltage winding as being inserieswith the shunt field-winding of a motor in both Fig. '1 and Fig. 2. In some instances thiswindm will be across the line, or it will be a series winding in series with the ,overlad-wir1di11 in which latter case it would be actuate by minimum current. i

In using the term circuit-controller I intend to include an device which by its movement effects a c ange of condition ina circuit.

By the term no-voltage electroresponsivedevice I mean an electroresponsive 4 devicewhich is unaffected by the current passing through the translating device which is to be protected, but which responds to a condition of no voltage upon the translating device.

' the following claims.

My invention may be embodied in a variety of modifiedforms of construction, and I do not wish or intend to be limited as to the scope thereof otherwise than as expressed in What I claim is 1. In an automatic circuit-controller, the

combination with a shunt-wound motor, a'

rheostat contact-lever, a sprin -'actuated arm, means which under norma conditions holds said arm in a definite position, and two electroresponsive devices arranged to release said arm under abnormal conditions,

one of the said electroresponsive devices being responsive to the-motor-armature current, and the other electroresponsive device being in series 'with the motorshunt-field,

. substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic circuit-controller, the combination with a rheostat contact-lever, a spring-actuated arm, a pivoted locking device-for said arm having two lateral arms, a

solenoid whose core is normally up and arranged to drop on one of said arms to trip the locking device, a second solenoid whose core is normally down and arranged to strike a blow upon the other arm to trip said latch,

substantially as set forth. 3. In an automatic circuit-controller, the combination with'a rheostat contact-lever a spring-actuated arm,a pivoted'lockl'ng evice 'for said "arm having two lateral arms, 5

solenoid above one arm and whose core is normally up and arranged to drop on said arm to trip the latch, a second solenoid below the other arm and whose core is normally arm of the latch to trip it, 1

combination with a rheostat contact-lever, a

spring-actuated hammer-arm arranged to'impart a blow .to said rheostat-lever and drive it to. the starting position, a pivoted locking device for said arm ha'vingtwo lateral arms, a solenoid whose core is normally up and arrangled to drop on one of said arms to trip the late a' second solenoid whose core is normally' down and arranged to strike a blow upon the other arm to trip said latch, substantially as set forth.

6. In an automatic circuit-controller, the combination with a rheostat contact-lever, a spring-actuated arm pivotally connected thereto, a locking device for holdin said arm in its normal position, and two in electroresponsive devices for releasing said arm one of which responds to predetermined overload-current, and the other of which is independent of the current, and res onds to abnormally low .voltage, substantia ly as set forth.

7..In an automatic circuit-controller, the

combination with a,rheostat contact-lever,

a spring-actuated arm pivotally connected thereto, a pivoted locking device for holding said arm in its normal position, and two in-' dependent electroresponsive devices for releasing said arm, one of which responds to predetermined overload-current, the other of' which is independent, of the current, and responds to abnormally low voltage, substantially as set forth.

8. An electric motor having a shunt fieldpendent IIO winding, two switches in series witheachother, and in series with the motor-armature, the first switch being a hand-actuated resistance-controlling switch, and the other switch being an automatic switch'anormally held ainst the action of a spring by a latch, a solenoid-magnet in series with the two switches and motor-armature which 1 le s the. latch on the oecurnence'of a pr determined overload-current, and a solenoid .closed having a plunger which acts directly upon the same 1atch"'on-the occurrence of no.0

. rent substantially as set forth.

9. An electric motor having a shunt field-' x30 finding, two pivotally-connected switches in a series with'.each other and in series with the :notorarmature, the first switch being a hand-actuated resistance-controlling switch,

mechanical; restraining means for normally ,holding-theother switch closed against the action of a force, a magnet in series with the leases the same restraining means on the occurrence of abnormally-reduced voltage.

, 10. Aconstant electromotiveforce-supply current, and two pm tally-connected switches in series across the said constant electronictive force circuit, one switch being a resist- ,a'nce-controlling switch, and the other switch being an automatic circuit-breaker responsive'to-independent magnetic means, the said ineans'acting upon overload and no-voltage conditions in-the circuit respectively.

1-1", automatic circuit-breaker having in combination, a switch, a spring constantly tending to open the switch. a latch for normally maintaining the switch closed against the actionof the spring,- and two solenoids,

l the plungers of which act directlyuponthe v SQ-Kl latch to release it. one upon the occur so,

rence of a predetermined overload-current,

c and the othcr'upon the occurrence of no voltage, substantially as set forth.

12. An automatic circuitbreaker having in -comb'ination'a switch acted upon by a 3 forcetendingto open the switch, mechanical restraining means for normally maintaining the switch closed against the action of the force, and two electroresponsive devices, one

of which releases the restraining means on a predetermined overload-current, and the other upon the occurrence of an abnormal reduction in voltage, and a hand-actuated'resistance-controlling switch which, when it is moved in the direction of inserting resistance,

closes the circuit-breaker.

l3. Alshunt-wound electricmotor, an antomatic switch in series with the armature of the motor, normally acted upon by a force constantlytending to open said switch, mechanical restraining means for holding said switch closed against the action of said force,

electroresponsive means in series with the motor armature which, upon the occurrence ofa predetermined overload-current releases the said restraining means, electroresponsive means in serieswith the shunt. field-winding of the motorwhich releases the said restraining means upon abnormal diminution of current in the motor shunt field-windin and a resistance controlling switch in series with said automatic switch and with the motorarmature, the two switches being so arranged that the resistance-controlling switch must be placed in a protective position before the automatic switch can be closed.

14. An electric motor connected to a constant electromotive-force supply circuit, an automatic circuit-breaker in series with the armature of the motor and having in combination a switch, a spring constantly tending to open the switch,a lat-ch for normally maintainingt-he switch closed against the action of the spring, and twosolenoids. the lungers of which act directlyupon the said atch to release'it, one solenoid being responsive toexcessive current through the motor-armature, and the other solenoid being responsive to abnormally low voltage at the armatureterminals, substantially as set forth.

15. A source of practicallyconstant electromotive force, an automatic switch in series therewith, a spring tending constantly to open said switch, a latch which.normally holds said switch closed, and two imlependent electroresponsive devices having plungers which act directly upon said latch. one of which releases 'saidlatch and therebycauses the opening oft-he automatic switch, when an excessive current is passed through the said switch, and the other of which releases the said latch, and thereby causes the opening of the automatic switch whenever the line electromotive force becomes abnormally low, substantially as set forth.

16. The combination with a motor having a field-winding energized by a current independent of its arimiture-current, of a resistance-controlling switch, an automatic switch normally acted upon by a force tending to move it, means which under normal conditions holds saidautoinatic switch in a definite position, and two electroresponsivedevices arranged to release said automatic switch under abnormal conditions, one of said electroresponsive devices being responsive to current in the motor-armature and the other electroresponsive device being dependent for its action upon current in the field-circuit o'l'- the motor.

' 17. The combination. with a motor having a field-winding energized by a current independent of its armature-current, of a resistance-controlling switch, an automatic arm acted upon by a force tending to move it, means for holding said arm under normal conditions in a deiinitc position, and two independent electroresponsivedevices arranged to release said arm upon conditions of no voltage and over]oadrcurrent respectively.

- An electric motor having a shuntlieldwinding, two switches in series with each other and with the motor-armature, the first switch being a hand-actuated ItS-lS'tz-ll1(@00ll trolling switch, and the other switch being an automatic switch normally held closer l against the action ol" :1 force, means for holding said automatic switch closed, a magnet in series with the two switches and motor-armature for releasing the said means on the occurrence oz" a predetermined overload-current, and a IOC magnet havin a movable element affected thereby, which element acts directly u on the said means u-pon predeterminedre, 'uction of current in said magnet.

19. An automatic circuitbreaker having in combination a switch, a spring constantly tending to open said switch,- a latch for normally maintaining the switch closed against the action of said spring, and two magnetic devices which act directly upon the said latch to release it, one upon the occurrence of a predetermined overload current, and the other upon the occurrence of no voltage.

20. An electric motor having a field-winding energized by'a current independent of its armaturecurrent, a supplycircuit of constant electromotive force, an automatic switch in series with the armature ofthe motor, mechanical restraining means for normally holding said'switch closed a ainst a force constantly tending to move sai switch, eleetroresponsive means in series with the motor-armature which upon predetermined overload current releases said restraining means, electroresponsive means responding independently of the armature current for releasing said restraining 'means upon abnormalconditions in the supply-circuit, and a spring-actuatedresistance-controllingswitch, which when moved in the direction of inserting resistance closes the said automatic switch.

21. An electric motor and constant-electromotive-force-supply circuit, an automatic circuit-breaker in series with the armature of the motor and having in combination a switch, a spring constantly tending to open the switch, a latch for normally. maintaining the switch closed against the action of the spring, and two electromagnetic devices which act directly upon the said latch to release it, one of said devices being responsive to excessive current to the motor-armature, and the other of said devices being responsive to abnormally low voltage at the armatureterminals. v,

22. A source of practically constant electromotive force, an automatic switch in series therewith acted upon by a force .tending to open the same, mechanical restraining means for normally holding said switch closed, and two independent electroresponsive devices having plungers which act directly upon said restraining n1'eans,--one of which releases said restraining means when an excessivecurrent is passed through the said switch, and the other of which releases the said restraining means when the line electromotive force becomes abnormally low.

23. In an automatic circuit-controller, the combination With a resistance-controlling switch, of a spring-actuated hammer-arm, a

locking device for holding said arm in its normal position, and two electroresponsive devices arranged to release said arm under ableasing said arm upon the occurrence of abnormal no voltage in the circuit to impart a blow to move said switch". I

25. In an automatic circuit-controller, the combination with a switch, of a spring-actuated hammer-arm, mechanical restraining means for holding said arm in its normal position, and an electroresponsive device for releasing said arm upon the occurrence of either of two different abnormal conditions of the circuit to impart a blow to move said switch.

- 26. In an automatic circut-controller, the combination of a resistance and a resistancecontrolling switch, a springactuated hammer-arm, mechanical restraining means for holding said arm in its normal position, and an electroresponsive device for releasing said arm upon the occurrence of either of two different abnormal conditions of the circuit to impart a blow to move said switch.

27. The combination of an electric motor, an armature resistance, a resistance-controlling switch, a spring-actuated hammer-arm, mechanical restrainin means for holding said arm in its norma position, and, an electroresponsive device for releasing said arm upon the occurrence of either of two different abnormal conditions of the motor-circuit.

28. Aconstant-alectromotive-force-supply circuit, an electric motor, a switch for controlling the armature circuit, a movable arm, means for normally holding said arm in a -fixed position and for. releasing said arm on 'the occurrence of no voltage and overloadcurrent, means for moving said-arm when so released and causing the same toengage said' switch and position.

'29. Aconstant-electromotive-force-supply circuit, an electric motor, a variable resistmove the latter to a protective ance in circuit with one element of said mo tor, a switch for controlling the saidresistance, a movable arm, means for normally holding said arm in a fixed position and for releasim said arm on the'occurrence of no voltage -an overload-current, means for moving said arm when soreleased and causing thesame to engage said switch and move the latter to aprotective position.

30. In an automatic circuit controller, two 'pivotall'yconnected arms, one of said arms being a resistance-controlling arm which can be moved to a position so as to include any desired portion of resistance,-the other arm being a spring-actuated arm normally held in a certain position, two electroresponsive devices affecting the release of the said spring-actuated arm under different abnormal conditions, and means whereby the said spring actuated arm when released moves the reslstance-controlling arm. I

31. The combination 'of an electric motor, two pivotally-connected arms, one being a resistance-controlling arm which can be moved to a position so as to include any desired portion of resistance, the other arm being a spring-actuated arm normally held in a certain position, two electroresponsive devices affecting the release of the said spring-actuated arm under abnormal conditions, one of said devices being connected in series with the motor-armature and the other of said de- Vices in series with the motor-field, and means wherebythe said spring-actuated arm when released moves the resistance controlling arm.

32. The combination of an electric motor, two pivotally-connected arms, one beinga resistance-controlling arm which can be moved to a position so as to includeany desired por' tion of resistance, the other arm being a I spring-aotuated arm normally held in a oer tam position, two electroresponslve devicesaffecting the release of the'said spring-actuated arm under abnormal conditions, one of said devices being connected in series with the motobarmature, and the other of said devices being connected in a circuit independent of the armature-current, and means whereby the said spring-actuated arm when released moves the resistancecontrolling arm.

33. The combination of two pivotallyconnected movable electric-circuit-controlling elements, and means for automatically which respond independently of each other..

controlling one of said elements, said means comprising two electroresponsive devices 34. The combination of a circuit-controlhn element, means for automatically contro ling the movement of said element comprising two electroresponsive devices which respond independently of each other, and a ling the automatic movement ofone of said switches comprising two electrore'sponsive windings, one of said windings being in series with the motor-armature and the other of ,aid windings being in series with said field- Winding.

36. The combination of a motor having a in series with the motor-armature, meanswhereby said switches can be closed oni y in definite sequence, and means for causing the automatic protective movement of 'one of said switches comprising two electrorcsponsive windings, one of said windings being in series with the motor-armature and the other in series with said field-winding 37. The combination of two ind mendently-movable switches in series with each other, a single means for controlling the cis:- ing movement of said switches, and mans protectively related to one of said swit ies comprising two independent electroresponsive windings. H v

38. The combination of an electric motor, an automatic switch in series therewith, a non-automatic switch also in series therewith whose movement effects the closing of said automatic switch, and means for automatically and independently protecting the circuit under two different abnormal conditions, said means comprising two independent electromagnetic windings.

39. The combination of a controllingswitch, a mechanical detent for holding said switch in its restrained position, a currentfcontrolling device the -movement of which eilects he movement of said switch to its restrained position, and two electroresponsive devices for effecting the release of said restraining means. upon the occurrence of abnormal current and voltage.

40. The combination of an electric motor, a protective switch, a mechanical detent for holding said switch in a restrained position, a current-controlling device the movement of which effects the closure of said switch, and

means for automaticallyprotectively controlling said detent comprising two electroresponsive windings, one of said windings being in series with the motor-armature and the other of said windings being in a circuit other than that of said motor-armature.

41. The combination with an automatic circuit-breaker comprising two independently-functioning electroresponsive windings controlling the automatic operation of the, circuit-breaker in res onse to two diflerent circuit condition's, o a current-controlling device by'the operation of which the closure of said circuit-breaker is effected.

42. The combination of an electric motor, an automatic circuit-breaker and a resistance-controlling switch inseries therewith,

ieans for effecting the closure of the circuitbreaker by the movement of said switch, and means for effecting the automatic opening of the circuit breaker when the current through the motor-armature exceeds a certain amount and when the supply electromo tive force becomes abnormally low, said means comprising two electroresponsive Windings each having a magnetic mass moved by which the circuit-breaker is moved to its nor; I0

the resultant effect of gravity and magnetism mal protective position.

43. The combination with an automatic This specification signed and witnessed circuit-breaker comprising two electromagthis 16th day of January, 1903. 5 netic windings, each of said windings having a magnetic mass automatically movable un- A LEONARD: der the resultant influence of magnetism and Witnesses: -r gravity, of a current-controlling device inde- BESSIE DEVINE,

. 'pendently movable and by the movement of l KATE HYLAND. 

